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Paper short abstract

In Eastern Minyag, eggs in soul-calling rituals show how natural elements adapt to diverse cultural needs and shape belonging.

Paper long abstract

In the Eastern Minyag region, eggs are frequently employed in ritual contexts, especially in soul-calling ceremonies performed in the domestic space. A common practice involves placing an egg atop a handful of rice, symbolizing the state of the soul: if the soul successfully returns to the human body, the egg is believed to fall. Despite their apparent ritual significance today, the ritual use of eggs in the Eastern Minyag community is relatively recent. Narratives surrounding eggs and confirmations from local ritual specialists’ accounts suggest that the adoption of eggs emerged as a flexible strategy to reconcile differing ritual preferences across ethnic and cultural groups in the region—including Minyag, Yi, Ersu, Han Chinese, and others.

This paper takes the egg as a material and narrative trace through which to explore broader questions of ritual adaptation, interethnic negotiation, and vernacular understandings of the soul and the natural environment. It examines how Minyag ritual specialists have reconfigured ritual practice to meet local needs, extending their spiritual authority beyond the Minyag community and ethnic boundaries. The study reflects on how elements of the natural world, such as eggs, become entangled with cultural meanings, ritual efficacy, and shifting cosmologies—offering insight into the dynamic relationship between nature, narrative, and belonging.